Criminal
by Hydra no Mago
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia. 23 years old, works as a police officer in Magnolia. Has no pets but does have a dying house plant. Her late nights consist of sitting in the office and waiting to see if anyone has come in to complain. So why was she in the field on a snowy night after nailing a date? NaLu / Modern AU


**Hey there lovely peeps, and Merry Christmas!  
Here's a little something written for karasufairy as part of the ftsecretsanta project on tumblr, hope she likes it! **

* * *

**Criminal**

She lets out a long sigh as she eyes the stack of paperwork sitting on her desk, a definite prelude to the bleakness of her weekend filled with staring at lines and lines of incomprehensible jargon. She slumps her upper half unceremoniously over the free space left on her boring grey desk, letting her head drop upon it with a resounding _thump_ while her arms draped uselessly over the edge.

Lucy Heartfilia. 23 years old, works as a police officer in Magnolia. Has no pets but does have a dying house plant. Her late nights consist of sitting in the office and waiting to see if anyone has come in to complain about their neighbour being too noisy, about the horrid smell coming from the dumpsters or their cat being stuck in a tree. Her working days have her doing well … practically the same thing. Weekends are the best, as she finally has the chance to have a few hours away from work; about six. She spends them lazing on the couch, eating ice-cream and cookies (her guilty pleasure) as she watches reruns of Friends or Game of Thrones.

Pathetic lifestyle much? She would not blame anyone who perceived it as such. Besides, to top it all of, she's a pretty little thing who will probably eternally single. Every single one of her dates, if they have not ended in disaster then they did not manage to start in the first place. Every man who crossed paths with her eventually labelled her as "too much". She was much too pretty, much too chatty, much too crazy, much too loving, much too tough, much too _blonde_ , much too busy, much too... Just too much. She huffs off after, going through the single woman's breakup manual and promptly invites her friends over for a night of heavy drinking, plus snacking.

Changing her status as "Forever Single" on her Facebook page a few months prior, she has gotten more than her fair share of questionings and teasing from her friends and coworkers. One such coworker now stood before her, arms carrying yet another small stack of papers to be filed. "Lu-chan, you okay?" the blue haired female asks, worry colouring her voice. The blonde manages to gather up enough energy to nod and shoot her a thumbs up. Her coworker smiles, balances the papers on her thigh and uses her free hand to pat blonde locks. "It'll be fine Lu-chan! Relax and be yourself!" At this Lucy lifts her head to meet her friend's bright smile. Contagious, she feels her own smile spreading across her cheeks. "Yeah, I'll do my best. Thanks Levy!"

Levy pats her once more before scurrying off to continue her work. Lucy watches her go, grateful that she has such a kind friend and that she has managed to find happiness in the form of her current boyfriend, Gajeel. To be frank, Lucy had never liked Gajeel ever since she met him, with all his piercings and extreme death glares. But he had taken a peculiar liking towards Levy, and vice-versa. Before she could even say "What?!" they had begun dating. Plus, Levy was so happy whenever she was with Gajeel, Lucy couldn't bear to be the one to raise her distaste. Eventually though, they have been dating for a little more than a year, both of them still happy.

"Oi, bunny girl. Whaddaya think you're doin'?" Well, there was a far more pressing reason why she _hated_ the metal face. She lifts herself upright and swivels around to face her superior, giving him her sweetest smile. "Oh, just contemplating my horrid life choices." she answers, underlying tone of sarcasm present. The male growls at her, but she is unruffled, already used to his empty threats and frequent teasing. She knows for a fact that this looming figure who could make criminals crap their pants has an unexpectedly soft side as well, courtesy of Levy, so what could she be afraid of? She stares him hard in the eye, neither willing to be the one to back down first.

Gajeel clicks his tongue, pulling away and marching off to harass another poor officer. "Do your job." he spits, Lucy silently giving him the middle finger. After making sure he had sulked off to his own office, probably to stalk them while they were working. _Whatever. I can do what I want as long as I'm productive._ She glances at the clock, noting that it was only three in the afternoon. _You can do this Lucy, just three more hours to go._

* * *

She had a date tonight, after months of turning down requests and pretending that she was alright. Because truth to be told, she wasn't. Her job hours were already a pain, making it hard to find time for herself much less spend it with a partner. If she were willing to admit to herself, she felt constantly lonely, an ever gaping hole present at the spot where her heart should be. Sometimes, in her monochrome world she forgot to eat or sleep, just going about her duties like a robot. Levy admonishes her, drops by to check on her and accompany her whenever she's free, but she's busy now.

Other than her book-loving best friend whom she can confide anything in, she hardly had anyone else. There was Loke, but he was constantly on the lookout for more skirts to chase. Cana, but Lucy never felt like getting drunk with her is a good idea. Proof shown when Cana coaxed her into drinking more than she can take, her stripping into her underwear and performing an impromptu pole dance. The worst part was, it was videoed enthusiastically by all her coworkers, making her the talk of the office for the next few seasons.

She adjusts the strap of her red dress, bunching up blonde locks trying to decide which hairstyle matches the outfit best. Her date was someone she had met through Tinder, a nice young man with impeccable hair and a pair of glasses cutely draped on the bridge of his nose. She had engaged him in conversation first after seeing on his profile that he likes Steig Larsson's major trilogy, and the two had hit it off from there. He was a bit meek at first, shy and conserved, though Lucy can't say she hates his type.

Lucy secures the straps of her low boots before taking one last look at herself in the mirror. She couldn't resist giving her refelction a wolf whistle, yes she was damn sexy tonight. Confidently, she grabbed her purse and long trench coat before locking the door to her apartment. The cold winter wind immediately swept over her, causing goosebumps to form along her skin. She quickly shrugs the jacket on lest she contracts hypothermia and strides to hail a taxi. Tonight, she was going to get herself a date.

* * *

It went.. _well_. Lucy could not seem to believe it as her date with Matthew went swimmingly. They had met up at a cozy cafe not far from his place, and just talked about everything under the sun. They chatted about their favourite books, movies, authors. They sampled each other's ordered dishes, laughed at their waiter's very much alive moustache and even exchanged numbers at the end of the night. Not once had he voiced any complaints her previous dates had, and they just enjoyed their time together.

Lucy stared at the newest number in her list of contacts, unconsciously smiling to herself as she walked down the street to her apartment. Matthew was kind enough to offer to walk her home, but she declined. She was a police officer after all, she could handle things on her own. He has looked a tad disappointed, and had mentioned he would love to see her again, as soon as possible, with a raging blush on his cheeks. How long had it been since she had felt so happy? The boy was sweet and cute, she definitely had a good catch here.

 _But..._ The treacherous voice at the back of her mind sounded agains the emptiness of the night. _You don't actually think you could get together can you?_ It laughed mockingly at her.

Lucy scowled, _That's none of your business_. She hated how the voice in her head sounded so eerily like her own.

The voice laughed again. _Oh come on, don't lie to yourself, it's futile._ In the darkness, it smiled. _Matthew is sweet enough to be your friend probably, but as a lover and your other half?_ It blew a raspberry. _No way._

Mentally, Lucy shushed it and managed to push it into the deep recesses of her brain, not wanting it to disrupt her happiness any further. But the seed it had planted moments before had already taken root, the idea that Matthew may not be suited as her lover echoed, causing shadows of doubt to form. She sighed and stopped in her tracks to gather her thoughts, her breath coming out as smoke in the cold winter air. Could she even afford to be picky at this point? Sure, Matthew may not be her best choice, but he was her only choice. No one else out there would want her.

She was about to resume her walk home and preferably munched on some cookies before she heard a loud gunshot and shrill scream pierce the night air. On instinct, Lucy ran as fast as her heeled boots could carry her, rounding a corner on the opposite block and saw a woman lying on the snow covered ground. A quick sweep showed that the lady did not receive any heavy injuries, yet she was bawling her eyes out. "What happened miss? Are you hurt?" asked the blonde in her professional voice, calm and collected. The lady shook her head violently, rubbing at her eyes. "N-no..!" she exclaimed. "J-just t-t-that..." and she burst out crying again, Lucy immediately hugging her in an attempt to calm her down.

"Miss," she begun carefully. "I need you to tell me what's wrong please." The lady clung to her coat in a death grip, breathing harshly. After a few seconds which felt more like eons, the lady spoke. "There were... t-two men here. One had a gun and was threatening to hand over my.. my purse." Her face was still pale. "The other looked like he was with him, but then they started fighting? I don't know, I'm not sure. But there was blood, lots of b-blood and then the one with the gun shot...! " She clutched her hands over her ears, as if the action could block out what she had seen.

Lucy patted her back, dialled in the number for her colleagues and informing them of the situation. Levy who was on the line assured her that backup would be here. "Oh and Lu? Don't do anything stupid." warned her best friend. The blonde nodded. "Yeah, but you know me Levy. I'm always up for an adventure." She directed the woman to sit with her back facing the wall and to wait until a police car arrives to pick her up. They will be waiting to hear her statement. In the meantime, Lucy strode along the street, looking out for any signs.

Indeed the snow was a dead giveaway to a scuffle, with erratic shoe prints everywhere. She trailed the prints right up to a nearby alley, hands reaching in her purse for the retractable baton. Just in case. Blotches of striking red caught her eye, a bright contrast against the pure white of the snow. They stood out like grotesque versions of blossoms. Lucy took a deep breath and followed those instead, knowing she would not like whatever she was about to find in that alley.

* * *

Darkness flooded through the high walls of the buildings, snow lightly floating downwards in their merry little dance. Lucy shuffled silently through the long and winding alley, keeping her steps slow as to watch out for anything that may surprise her. She could hardly see the blood stains now, and contemplated about using the light on her phone but decided against it after all. If anyone wanted to harm her, having a light would be akin to signalling her demise. She kept close to the walls, mindful of the grime staining her coat, ears perked up and body on full alert.

 _Was that... breathing?_ Her brown eyes scanned the area carefully, holding herself rigid agains the wall as she strained her ears to hear it again. For a while, nothing stirred in the alley, silent as the grave. A minute or two must have passed before she heard it again, the softest exhale shuddering in pain. She shuffled in the direction of the sound, hearing it periodically. Another corner later, she sees a body slumped against a number of crates, and she sees the gleaming knife in the hand. The blonde holds the baton up, slowly approaching the figure.

She made it close enough to the figure before it stirred and turned to face her. In the dark alley, a pair of dark green eyes stared at her, a low growl sounded. Lucy gulped. "Are you alright?" she asked in her calmest voice, inching ever closer. "If you're hurt, I can help you." She noted the blood on the knife, wondered if the red belonged to this person or another. Taking a chance, she walked quickly, making it right next to the crates before the figure moved abruptly, swiftly pinning her to the wall. She raised the baton to clock him, but stopped when she felt the cold metal touch her neck.

This close, she could feel the figure's breaths fanning across her neck, could hear the frantic pulsing of heartbeats. Lucy could also smell something rancid emanating from the figure. She opened her mouth to speak, but it pressed the knife dangerously closer to a vein. "Shut up," growled the figure and she could identify it as a male. "Shut up or else I'll slice our throat." She gulped, holding her hands in the air as he snatched the baton away from her and tossed it further into the alley. _Great, now I have no weapon._ Her mind helpfully supplied.

The man before her stared at her with such intensity, she thought he could look into her mind. He cocked his head, dark green eyes never leaving her face. At length, he questioned "Are you a cop?" Lucy didn't know what was the answer that would save her. If she answered yes, would her neck be sliced? If she answered no would she be let off? She doubts it, and what if it was the other way around? "Well, are you one or not?" whispers the man harshly, pressing the knife closer.

Well, she would just have to take a chance. "Yes, I am." she replied as calmly as she could, ignoring the way her legs were shaking in her boots, literally. She may be a cop, but she wasn't one who went on the field frequently. Having a knife at her throat and a possibly crazed person threatening her with said knife is new frontier for her. He must have sensed her apparent unease, as he loosened his hold on her shoulder and pulled the knife further away from her throat. _Wait, what?_ She wondered what kind of face she must have been making for this criminal to take pity on her. Somehow, that just didn't sit well with her pride.

"You sure you're a cop?" he voiced again, this time Lucy was taken aback by the slight trembling in his voice. She raised her eyebrows. Could it be that he was... _Scared?_ Wetting her lips from the biting cold, she answers affirmative once more, eyes trained on him. The clouds in the sky parted, allowing silvers of moonlight to peek into the dark alleys, illuminating the spots it touched. "Okay..." he breathed. "Okay..." Lucy could feel the nervousness come off him in waves as he surprisingly dropped his knife onto the ground and stepped slightly away from her.

She wanted to ask why, wanted to know what the hell was going on here. Her words died on her lips though, as certain silvers of light shone upon her assailant's face. Tear-streaked, bruised, bloodied. His dusty pink hair was matted with blood, purple bruises forming over his arms. Dark green eyes swimming with unshed tears and pure unadulterated _fear_ painted on his features. She sucked in a breath of the cold air. "If you are a cop," he began, slow and careful. "Then please..." He slumped to the ground on his knees, hands covering his eyes. "Help me... help me..." he whispered in a broken voice over and over again.

* * *

She heard the click of handcuffs as they led him to the interrogation room where Gajeel would be waiting. After her strange encounter, backup had arrived to collect the hysterical lady and her from the streets. She received a call from Cana asking where she was, directed her to the location and they both had carted off the man into the backseat of the police car. He was reluctant to do so at first, having a gun pointed at his forehead made him snarl like a beast. Lucy somehow miraculously managed to convince him to get in the vehicle regardless, mentioning strongly that if he wanted her help he was going to cooperate.

"Why the hell did you pick up a stray?" asked Cana as she perched daintily on Lucy's desk. "And a dangerous looking one at that." The blonde sighed, filling out the necessary paperwork from the night's fiasco. "I didn't. He wanted to follow me here." she answered curtly. She wasn't quite in the mood for any of Cana's games nor questions at the moment. Her brain was buzzing with too many of her own.

The brunette shrugged, handing her a cup of coffee which she graciously accepted. She took a sip and moaned at how good the warm liquid felt, sliding into her stomach. "Thanks Cana," she whispered, and her friend gave her a pat on the back. "Sorry for snapping at you," Lucy muttered with half her face turned away, because she knew she had been a bit grumpy. Cana just laughed, ruffling her hair despite her protests. "That's okay blondie, you had a rough night."

* * *

"What do you mean he's not talking?" she exclaims, confused more than ever. Didn't he say that he needed help from the police?

Gajeel sighs into his mug of coffee and rubs his brow. "I meant what I said bunny girl." He took a sip of the scalding liquid. "He ain't talking for now, no matter what tactics we use."

Lucy was shocked, the iron monster Gajeel couldn't get a peep out of him? Gajeel who blatantly threatened criminals on a daily basis and spoke their cuss language for fun? Just what kind of hardened criminal was he? "Didn't you put Erza in the room too?"

Her senior sighed again. "Whaddaya think? Of course I did." He pulled a face, as if she had insulted his intelligence, which admittedly wasn't much. "The only thing even that demoness got out of him was that he ain't talking to any of us." At this he paused for effect. "Except you."

"M-Me?!" Her brown eyes were wide with disbelief. "What could he want with me?!"

Gajeel nodded solemnly. "You heard me right. And I'll be damned if I know the reason. Which is why..." He leaned over the table to give her a slip of paper. "you'll be the one interrogating him next."

"But...!" "No buts!"

* * *

She sees his head bowed, wrists chained to the table. Not for the first time she wonder what it felt like to be bound here, in this dull room with nothing but your screaming thoughts to occupy you. She seats herself on the metal chair opposite him, noting that his hair was still matted with the now dried blood. _They didn't even let him clean up_ she muses.

At the scraping sound of metal legs meeting the concrete floor, he looks up into brown eyes. Lucy is startled by how lifeless his own dark green eyes are, as if he had given up on the world. They continue to stare at each other for a while, letting the silence in the room permeate through their bones.

"Can you tell me what is it you meant by help?" asks Lucy in her softest voice, afraid that she would frighten or irritate him into not speaking. He answered none, eyes dull, staring at her or the space behind her. Feeling uncomfortable, she crossed her arms over her chest, patiently waiting for him to respond. She watched the minutes ticking by on her watch.

She mentally exhales. "Can you at least tell me your name?" she asks sweetly. "It would be great for us if we know who we're helping and how we can help."

Again, she was met with static silence.

"Do you not want our help?"

Shaking of the head.

"Okay, so you do want our help."

A nod.

"Can you tell me what it is you need help with?"

No answer.

After a few more rounds of playing this endless game of cat and mouse, Lucy felt her nerves were frazzled. Any more of this and she might snap at the man, hand wrapped around his shoulders to shake the truth out of him. She glanced at her watch and groaned. It had already been an hour.

"Fine." she said, getting up from her chair. "If you aren't going to respond, then I don't need to waste my time here." With four wide strides she was at the door, waiting to be buzzed out.

A clatter of the chair and chains. "Wait!" he shouted, jumping up from his seat with vigour. Lucy spun around in surprise, one hand on her taser. His eyes were wide with fear again, and upon seeing her weapon he opened both palms, slowly sitting down. "Wait, please." he begged.

The blonde did not reply, her hand not leaving her weapon as she stared him down. He swallowed, feeling a headache forming. "I...I..." His lips were parted, but it was hard to get the words out. He bit on his tongue, telling himself he needed to pluck up some courage. "L-Lucy..." he breathed, watching brown eyes widen and a shadow of doubt flutter across the officer's features.

She whipped out the taser, fully intent on using it. "How? How do you know my name?" she said in an eerily even voice, trying hard to rein her emotions in.

"Lucy... please..." his voice broke once again. How could he convince her that he wasn't the enemy here? "My name is Natsu Dragneel, and I don't want to live as a criminal anymore." She was definitely prepared for a fight, so he made sure to keep low. "I'm not here to harm anyone. So please, put the taser down."

Lucy cast him another doubtful look. Eventually, she slid the taser back into her belt. "Explain. Now."

He nodded, motioning for her to take a seat, but she stubbornly stood by the door. His shoulders heaved as he controlled his breathing. "I'm part of the drug cartel I know you cops are looking for." he started. "Tartaros right? No, don't look so surprised, it's quite easy to find out who has the biggest bounty on their heads nowadays."

"And what of it?" Lucy bit out menacingly. She was glad at least that he had started talking.

He licked his lips. "I can help you get to them, but you have to help me get out of there. I don't want anything to do with them anymore."

Brown eyes pierced him. "Why should we do that?"

"Look, I know it's a great advantage to have intel on your side, seeing as you lack a lot of it," he huffs, moving to cross his arms over his chest until he realises they are chained at the wrists. "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, right?" he smirks smugly, showing off his fangs. His whole body language slipped into that of a sleazy dealer.

The blonde had her own lips pulled into a frown. "So how do you know my name?"

He visibly stiffened, "That's a story for a later time." the man called Natsu says casually. He was however, unprepared for the loud _bang!_ that resounded in the small room caused by Lucy angrily slamming her fist on the tabletop. Natsu instinctively flinched. Her longer bangs hid her eyes, making it impossible for anyone to gauge what she was really thinking.

But by the way her fist shook on the shiny tabletop, he guessed that she must be pissed or in pain. His brows furrowed, jaw clenched. Well whatever it was, he didn't want to see Lucy sad or suffering at all. It hurt him too.

Hazarding his safety and possibly risking his own sanity as well, he reached out tentatively to touch her hand with his fingertips. She jerked her head up, ready to pull back and admonish him regarding whatever rules they had about this place, but he moved a beat faster, completely encasing her soft hand in his own calloused one. "Lucy, you have to trust me, please..." He gave her the best puppy eyes he could muster. "Believe that I'm here to help you as much as I need your help."

 _What the hell is this?_ She bit her lip, not wanting to cause a scene here. Her superiors would surely think twice about promoting her then. _That doesn't explain why my heart is beating so damned fast!_ She groaned internally, tired of what her muddled brain was doing to her. Yet, his hand was warm... The way hers had fit into his seemed a bit familiar... Blurred images tickled at the edge of her brain, wanting to show her something. _But what?_ She couldn't make head or tail of any of it.

Deciding that she would need a clearer head for this, and not one which was running on coffee dregs, she pulled her hand away roughly. "You know what Mr. Dragneel?" she sneered at him. "You've got a deal."


End file.
